3000 songs LOST when syncing to PC

My husband synched his ipod to his PC and lost 3000 songs, none of which were illegally downloaded. They were copied from CD's which he purchased.
Appears they are in a file called MPeg 4 Audio file which cannot be accessed on his PC.
Could anyone help with retrieving this music please? None of the songs purchased from itunes were deleted! Thanks

After methodically checking and trying allsorts there is a way of retrieving the music albeit painfully slow.
Access MPEG4 click on each title and send it to iTunes. If anyone knows of a faster way, please let me know. Thanks.

Yes same PC. No the files on not on his computer in itunes. Appears they are in a MP4 file which cannot be accessed.

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Then the files on the iPod should only have been deleted if they were deleted from iTunes after the last time the iPod was synced with iTunes.

MP4 is only usually used for video and audio in the same file (e.g. a movie, tv show), do you mean M4P? You said they're not on the computer, so how do you know what the file format is?

In any case, the files on the iPod are gone and can't be recovered. His music should be on the computer and in his iTunes library because the whole point of syncing is to keep the iPod up to date with the iTunes library. I don't understand how this didn't happen sooner, unless he was using the manually manage music option. He'll have to re-rip his CDs and keep the files in iTunes.

Then the files on the iPod should only have been deleted if they were deleted from iTunes after the last time the iPod was synced with iTunes.

MP4 is only usually used for video and audio in the same file (e.g. a movie, tv show), do you mean M4P? You said they're not on the computer, so how do you know what the file format is?

In any case, the files on the iPod are gone and can't be recovered. His music should be on the computer and in his iTunes library because the whole point of syncing is to keep the iPod up to date with the iTunes library. I don't understand how this didn't happen sooner, unless he was using the manually manage music option. He'll have to re-rip his CDs and keep the files in iTunes.

Click to expand...

Ok. Just spoken with him. Could be M4P - he saw list of all his missing songs.
Apologies for giving wrong file name.

I think I know what happened. The iTunes Library might have been moved (or deleted by accident) and a new empty Library created and when it synced it provided provided that confusing Erase your iPod feature to use with a new Library. Windows has a backup feature but a lot of people don't use it.

I knew someone that stored their iTunes Library on their iPod as a hard drive and sync to the same iPod. I don't think they understood that the library could be on their PC.

So somehow his entire music folder got deleted, which meant that iTunes couldn't find his songs on the computer and wiped them from the iPod too.

All he can do is re-rip his CDs I'd highly suggest that when he's rebuilt his library, he backs it up to an external hard drive and updates the backup as he adds new CDs.

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I did a general Search on his PC, typed in one of the names of missing songs, which actually came up with others by the same singer in MPEG4 Audio FILE.
So they are all there it appears, just a case of getting them back.

I think I know what happened. The iTunes Library might have been moved (or deleted by accident) and a new empty Library created and when it synced it provided provided that confusing Erase your iPod feature to use with a new Library. Windows has a backup feature but a lot of people don't use it.

I knew someone that stored their iTunes Library on their iPod as a hard drive and sync to the same iPod. I don't think they understood that the library could be on their PC.

I think I know what happened. The iTunes Library might have been moved (or deleted by accident) and a new empty Library created and when it synced it provided provided that confusing Erase your iPod feature to use with a new Library. Windows has a backup feature but a lot of people don't use it.

I knew someone that stored their iTunes Library on their iPod as a hard drive and sync to the same iPod. I don't think they understood that the library could be on their PC.

Click to expand...

To add, he still has all the music he purchased from iTunes, only the CD stuff went!

Then the files on the iPod should only have been deleted if they were deleted from iTunes after the last time the iPod was synced with iTunes.

MP4 is only usually used for video and audio in the same file (e.g. a movie, tv show), do you mean M4P? You said they're not on the computer, so how do you know what the file format is?

In any case, the files on the iPod are gone and can't be recovered. His music should be on the computer and in his iTunes library because the whole point of syncing is to keep the iPod up to date with the iTunes library. I don't understand how this didn't happen sooner, unless he was using the manually manage music option. He'll have to re-rip his CDs and keep the files in iTunes.

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